Jeff Blashill, come on down!
The Hawks fired Richardson during the 2024-25 season after a slow start that didn’t see their young players producing enough. They used Sorensen as his replacement on an interim basis. Although they said that Sorensen would be in the mix for the full-time job, it was fairly obvious that they would move in a different direction. That decision has been made as they have officially hired Blashill to be the next head coach.
A week’s worth of speculation preceded this becoming official. Things were unusually quiet before the Blashill rumors started, but it was all but confirmed coming into official hiring day.
In 2015, head coach Babcock left the Dead Wings to coach the Leafs. Detroit promoted Blashill from Grand Rapids to replace Babcock as their bench boss.
After making the playoffs for 25 straight seasons, including Blashill’s first year, the magic ran out for Detroit. They had legendary players retire, a lack of prospects, and not many draft picks ahead of them. Blashill wasn’t mistake-free during his tenure as Dead Wings head coach, but his timing there wasn’t convenient. Not many coaches would have done much better.
In 2022, GM Yzerman noted that Blashill would not be returning after seven years of head coaching service and even longer in the organization. It was fair for the Dead Wings to make a change, but it was hardly all Blashill’s fault.
Since being removed from the Dead Wings, Blashill has been serving under Cooper on the Lightning bench. That is not a bad place to sit back and learn more about coaching for three years.
Now, he is ready for his next head coaching challenge. His time spent coaching young players, plus what he’s learned through his NHL journey, set him up perfectly for this Blackhawks job.
Blashill has shown the ability to help develop talent to the best of their ability. With Chicago, most of his impact players will be younger than 25 years old.
Now that the head coach is in place, Davidson can shift his focus to the third overall pick, the rest of his draft board, and free agency. This is a huge step in what could be remembered as an incredibly important off-season in Blackhawks history.
Blashill is our new head coach. Sorensen remains with the club as an assistant and is joined by Michael Peca (from NYR). Another assistant coach is to be named, Mike Vellucci (from PIT) has been in the running.
USA Gold Metal winners! T Thompson OT winner. Swayman with shutout.
Other then the ‘play’ period for DAL game 1 EDM has been ahead whole time.
What’s DAL to do hit there top player in the head to stop them.
Florida will be to Edmonton what Edmonton was to Savard Larmer Secord Blackhawks
It’s going to be FLR EDM again.
Powers has a good article re: Blashill.
Some quotes:
From Zito (Panther GM):
“It’s a 10-star hire,”
“Very, very outstanding technically. Patient. His teams will be prepared, and they’ll feel prepared and they’ll be encouraged.”
From Joe Veleno:
“It will be nice to have him again as our head coach. From what I’ve learned, I’ve definitely learned a lot from him,”
From Bertuzzi:
“Honestly, nothing but great things to say. He explains things well. He’s very to the point. He’s very detailed. He’s very personable. I think that’s one of the biggest things when you’re just able to be honest with a coach and talk to each other and try to figure things out.”
“A lot of young skill that needs to be coached well, and I think he’s the guy for the job.”
Style players only.
🙏 dont bring Kotkaniemi to Chicago .
Its not the player Hawks need to move to the next level .
Yes he is 25 y o but in 7 years in NHL. He has an a erage of 13 minutes/ games , 9 GWG in 7 years 476 games . Thats average for NHL
What we need is a warrior like Hagel , we need 3-4 Hagel . Who bu the way will not get trade by Tampa before another 5-6 years .
We need new blod and mark Messier style of players with a Al Secord and a Dave Manson .and maybe we already have a prospect that fits in one -two years from now
SSavoie will be trying hard to get a spot we the new coach next training camp. I would not be surprise to see him a few games during the season . But i think he needs another year in Rockford.
I would love 💗 to get a Xhekaj Brother for the Hawks in a trade for Dach Brother ..Colton porcelain Dach.
I thought CAR would do it this time and FLR would run out of gas after going far two yrs for first timers.
No way did I think there would be more than one blowout. For every game to be blowout wow on CAR.
You are right Ebony just using him as a body. Reichel is going to be on everyone’s list as a return. I would give up Dach before Reichel. Depending if we get back and NHL proven player or high pick then I give Reichel.
JR – I think the Kurashev trade value has plummeted to the point where he’s just a throw-in on a trade. Following up his 54 point season in 23/24 with a 14 point season will not result in GM’s tripping over each other to acquire him.
What are we trading to get CLB 14th/Carbinou. What else could we do rabbit wise involving more things to it then just 14th.
JR is on it !!!!
NYR is going to be pelted with Offer Sheets. If want our help to take Breadman or Zibanejad they gotta include one of the RFAs that is going to be sheeted. Only $8.4mil room for 2D & 2F.
Breadman at $7mil & Edstrom for Kurashev
Zibanejad & Cuylle for Kurashev
We can also give them Weber’s money and now they have mega room. With the first trade gives them $20mil room. We include Weber’s money then there 3rd(70) from Seattle for our fourth (98)
Mo Yes. Love me some Caribou
US in gold metal game. Probably against the Swiss. Nazar with an apple. Pinto goal 2 apples. 6-2 over Sweden loaded roster.
Nylander
Leo Carlsson
Lucas Raymond
F Forsberg
Zibanejad
W Karlsson
Markstrom who started but didn’t finish
Wennberg
Gus
Lindholm
Larsson
Who would be take with CLB 14th. Carbinou.
Here is a scenario I imagined. TB has $5.9mil of room to sign 1D and 3Fs. doubt that can happen. TB has no 1st this year and the next two.
Kurashev, Dach Murphy FL’s #1 for Hagel. Would ask for Concalves with him and we can always add Weber’s $$.
We can offer Concalves up to $4.680mil and loose a 2nd but I think $2.340mil would be enough and loose a 3rd only. My forward thinking is I rather loose a second so I can offer sheet more to loose a 1st and third if our 1st is in the teens. Then we can sign Perbix to take Murph’s spot.
Also whether nazar is ahead/agree or 98 just both be dang good.
98 can be the Kaner of this core he doesn’t have to be a 19/center if he’s not one of two best we have.
When we had deepest roster in 4? Decades we still didn’t have a 2nd line center from within or without.
We added hands Richy temp smity others. That’s becasue we had the big 4 and it’s not always same layout just saying.
We prob need to add the other two top6 spots one for ufa like we did for 2nd line centers and other from within/doing the four wheel drive with the lines for matchups.
Silent, even though what everyone is saying about hagens/being that good. I with you on the most important stuff.
It is what GM Davidson does. Levs not DemiGod. Even though he went for both.
Boisvert and Va nacker. Piece by piece added.
Based on what he picks I feel it’s martone/desyoners.
Always good smart to trade up just choose wisely when. Go get who we want to are no chance trying to do perfect draft.
Va nacker/other do it. Some others maybe not.
Who’s to say we won’t know for two three yrs. So I trust the concept even though I like having more picks like you said.
Try to get both trade ups and not trade entire 2nd picks.
This is why I like having 8 top 90 picks with 2/3 1sts and 4 2nds every draft. So we can do both.
Columbus pick 14 and 20 are available for trade .according to GM
Soooo many possibilities here depending on their needs.
Kaiser,Kurashev, pick 25 , and ?
I would prefer trying to get the guy who dont want to sign with Tampa
I saw a suggestion on another site – Mason McTavish. Anaheim has Carlsson and Sennecke as their top two centers. McTavish is RFA and Verbeek is a hardline guy in paying rich contracts so maybe he would be amenable to trading him. He’s 6’1″ and 220lbs, plays physical, good at faceoffs and can score. Put him in at 2C and let Nazar and Bedard battle it out for 1C.
Ebony – 250% agree with the size in playoffs comment. Maybe 350%.
We need durable centers who can also dish out a little action, and that isn’t on our team right now. For me, Nazar is clearly way ahead of Bedard in playing the position of center. Miles ahead. 2 way play and ability to drive play up the ice are huge differences.
I don’t know the kids being talked about, but size/strength and 2 way play is mandatory for me. Obviously a plus skater too.
Weak – The reason I hope the Hawks pass on drafting Hagens is not really because he’s under 6′ – it’s because Bedard and Nazar are both under 6′ and adding Hagens to the top-6 would mean at least 3 of the top-6 and both centers are under 6′. I believe that is too small to have success in the playoffs against the bigger teams they will face there.
Yea every win its seems like there’s more then one choice for pick.
We need several players with size not one and top6 are hard to find/unless ufa trade.
No matter what get those fw with size later in 1st/draft.
Keep adding a defensemen always looking for more quality.
If we do hagens/desyoners then we need to get top6 fw with size somewhere.
Not sure you can find hagens elsewhere.
Have to think hagens/martone/desyoners would be good/needed.
Nobody knows yet who the Hawks will pick
Here in Montreal many journalists are looking 👀 at Hawks
Many rumours , but 1 thing i know is that Caleb Desnoyers
Is second half of season was really good and playoff was 😮
Its really i good spot to be for the Hawks. Good for trade, good to move u or down ,good to pick .
It can be a very difficult decision for them
Plus we know that many fafans will judge them whatever decision they make .
Hopefully they have professional support to do the best move for the future .
Kevin Dean not being retained, bummer. Michael Peca hired is a plus for the forwards and special teams. Who replaces Dean is a worry as the new group of rookies will need to learn a new system pretty much on the fly. Dumb move #1, since this is the strength of the next wave right now, and the Hawks fall on their own sword!
With big centers available later in the draft, as well as having Vanacker and Boisvert already, me thinks its foolish to pass on Hagans who is the best player available. Think of how Cole Caufield fell in his draft year, because he was too small. Montreal’s gain Hagans was the #1AO at the start of the season, he’d be a “value” pick at #3OA.
If Blashill fails, Peca would be heir apparent to be the next HC, so plan B is already in place, Davidson’s job safe for now. A more experienced coach would demand Davidson make a trade or two to get some NHL talent on this team. StanBo-Q 2.0, so Blashill makes sense for that reason alone, Davidson is in control.
Since there isn’t much of a drop off in talent from #20 to the middle of the 2nd round, the Hawks would be smart to hold onto those extra 2nd round picks, even though we know Davidson will hand them over for a guy he has eyes on. Like last year when he traded out of the 2nd round completely having had 3 picks to get guys who probably would have been there for them to take anyway. That said maybe not Vanacker.
They need to add a goalie, and Ravensbergen won’t last past 20, although the need at forward is greater than at goalie, so I wouldn’t take him if he drops. There are some goalies in the top 10 that will last into the 3rd round. No need to ever waste a 1st rounder on a 5 year project, better value is all around picks 20-40.
Mo – I’ve seen Nesbitt play in some games but don’t recall how he did on faceoffs.
Like the two way centers with size Nesbit with already Boisvert Va nacker. That could be three good centers.
Say your hands Bolland krugs frolik right there.
Who else do we have for center prospects.
How’s Nesbit at faceoffs?
JR – getting Martone, Nesbitt and Vansaghi would be GREAT.
Just did an FC Hockey mock draft and came out with these guys in 2 rounds:
3
RANK 5
MARTONE PORTER
RW
BRAMPTON STEELHEADS
OHL
6’3”
208 lbs
25
RANK 24
NESBITT JACK
C
WINDSOR SPITFIRES
OHL
6’4”
182 lbs
34
RANK 42
VANSAGHI SHANE
RW
MICHIGAN STATE UNIV.
NCAA
6’2”
207 lbs
64
RANK 56
WEST MASON
C
EDINA HIGH
USHS-MN
6’6”
208 lbs
Billy – “Sir” Blashill – was he knighted? Hopefully he’s not beknighted. 🙂
First i go with ..we give a chNce to prove himself
Second i was reading the positive comments from Brandon Hagel and i want to give him a chance to show what the new coaches can do for the Hawks
We have to forget Carle who was probably not the best coach to get. ,coaching in NHL is not easy and he was not interested and ready in moving forward so its enough for me to put a X on him .
I trust them for their pick and we will see the results in 40-50 games .
Now lets focus in the draft and getting a few FA that will help for the future …not to many because 26 FA are really really very attractive with top notch h players .
I did like Blashill as a hire. (4/29) This only counts as KD’s second hire in my book. The other coaches were interns. It is a coach with NHL head coaching experience. Winner in minors. Took his lumps in pros. Had a nice seat next to Cooper.
Hawks 2010 statement on Panthers should put an end to any more under 6ft draft picks. Bennett would be a nice sign but will he sustain that play for 5 more years. Hoping Bennett and Ekblad do great that Fla must resign them and we get Lundell and/or Luostarinen.
I also see Buf as a trade partner. Read that Byram wants out so a blockbuster with JJ and McLeod would be great. Byram JJ McLeod for Reichel Kurashev Murphy Tor’s #2 in ’26 (Buf doesn’t have a #2)
LA and NYI as trade partners too, Roughly 35 more days for some moves.
Always good to have an Ian sighting. Hower tings?
Good that he is good at fundamentals.
Not counting any coach/s agaisnt GM a Davidson since roster isint good/any of the yrs yet.
If this coach does really good that’s good if not just don’t hold players back or screw up development.
Maybe he is good at teaching fundamentals and that’s is what’s needed the basics.
Master the basics.
Blashill is not who most were hoping for as next coach. He brings some positives, head coaching experience, success in Ahl, no win situation in his Nhl shot. He saw how a successful organization is run in Tampa which is all good. Improving the team should at least be a given, can’t be any worse. His past says he teaches fundamentals, expects accountability from players and coaches, will create a culture for youngsters to develop their skills, all that is good. Is he the guy to get this team to the top, he wasn’t a sought after high profile candidate, so other teams looking for coaches don’t see him that way, apparently. For what it’s worth I thought Carle was more show than go for head coach all along. We all hope everything works out for the best with Blashill, but as a wise man said, hope is a shitty strategy. My biggest concern is if he doesn’t work out where is this organization at and where is it able to go at that point. Kd has hired 3 coaches, is it 3 strikes your out or does he get a 4th attempt to get it right.
So what is it – Blah-shill or Bleh-shill or Blai-shill or Blash-ill or Blass-hill or ???
The Panthers hit and hurt and thats one reason why they win their battles. .Panthers are Big and 💪 strong and they have many warriors out there . Its the kind of players who are committed that we need in Chicago .
Getting a Bennet or other similar players from other team will definitely change the big picture.
These are exactly what everyone wanted.
Blackhawks assistant coach Kevin Dean will not return to the club next season. In fact, it doesn’t appear any of the assistants, including Derek King and Derek Plante, will be back next season after the club announced the hiring of new head coach Jeff Blashill today.
Brendan Shanahan will not return as president of the Leafs.
The 56-year-old was in the final season of a six-year contract he had signed May 14, 2019, when it was announced Thursday that his contract would not be renewed.
No replacement was named.
The move comes less than a week after the Maple Leafs’ season ended with a 6-1 loss to the Panthers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Second Round on May 18. Toronto led the best-of-7 series 2-0 but lost Games 5 and 7 at home.
They went 52-26-4 and won the Atlantic Division this season, their first under coach Berube
Brendan Shanhan is available to be Blashill’s assistant as of today.
Toronto makes their first change.Give or take a bunch of coaches the past 6 or 7 years.
I know a lot of us aren’t super excited for Blashill, but that’s because he’s not known to us yet. At least, not the current version. He might do just fine. As for Blashill making the playoffs only once . . .well, that once was also the last time Detroit was in the playoffs, so we really can’t lay all the blame for that team at his feet. They haven’t had a good roster for a long time. Let’s at least take a wait and see approach before we go all gloom and doom.